Full Description
Cross-border cooperations are becoming increasingly important as one of the most effective internationalization strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Despite the existence of substantial literature on the internationalization of SMEs, there is a still a distinct gap to fill regarding the specifics of SME cross-border cooperation. This book contributes to this missing dialogue by identifying the key factors affecting cross-border cooperation activities for SMEs in a European context. It reconciles the background conditions, challenges, and potential that cross-border cooperation offers SMEs: exploring of the role of public policy and governance structures in cooperation across borders; identifying the economic, social, cultural and institutional framework conditions; outlining the different stumbling blocks impeding cross-border cooperation of SMEs, and crucially, discussing how these can be overcome through effective cooperation management.
Contents
Part I: Introduction to SME cross-border cooperations.- 1. The role of cooperation for the internationalization of SMEs.- 2. Fields of cooperation.- 3. Challenges and opportunities of cross-border cooperations.- 4. Success factors for cross-border cooperations.- 5. External framework conditions influencing cross-border cooperations.- Part II: A European perspective on SME cross-border cooperations.- 1. A history of cross-border cooperations in Europe.- 2. European institutional dimension.- 3. European regional dimension.- 4. European Union SME policy.- 5. EU initiatives supporting SME cross-border cooperations.- Part III: Managing cross-border cooperations.- 1. The decision to cooperate across border.- 2. Selecting the right cooperation partner.- 3. Cooperation negotiations in an intercultural context.- 4. Choosing a governance structure.- 5. Managing the cooperative relationship.- 6. Adaptive cooperative strategy.- 7. Terminating the cooperation .
